"It's all Lord Kagura's fault, making my body increasingly indecent… Taking me to that tattoo parlor, what am I to do if other girls see such an embarrassing tattoo… Lord Kagura is truly outrageous, hmph—!"
Seated in the car, Hayasaka caressed her lower abdomen, adorned with a provocative tattoo of interwoven purple and pink hues with delicate cutouts, her cheeks flushed as she muttered under her breath.
In truth, she was well aware of what this suggestive tattoo represented—nothing less than a projection of her intimate anatomy, from her core to her womb and ovaries, etched upon her abdomen.
"Ahh—ugh… *smack, smack, smack*…"
Barely settled in the car, Eriri succumbed to drowsiness, yawning unabashedly with her mouth agape, devoid of any ladylike grace. At most, she raised her right hand to halfheartedly shield her lips, her mouth twitching like a rabbit nibbling at its meal.
"With nearly four thousand instances of self-indulgence, no wonder she's so exhausted—probably up all night tending to those urges instead of sleeping…"
Kagura propped his left elbow against the car door, casting a sidelong glance at Eriri, seated in the middle, as he mused silently to himself.
Were he to voice such thoughts aloud, Kagura suspected Eriri might sneak into his room at night with scissors, intent on severing his manhood.
"Staying up late will ruin your complexion, you know."
Kagura opted for a tactful reminder instead.
"No way! Mind your own business! Just make sure that doll-like girl gets her rest. My dull skin and brittle hair clearly don't bother you one bit~!"
"…Tch, who said I don't care?"
Kagura shot Eriri an exasperated look, only to notice Sora observing him from the corner of her eye. Her amber gaze was unexpectedly serene, a sight that soothed Kagura's heart.
Their eyes met for a fleeting second before both averted their gazes in unison.
"And don't go saying things like that to other girls, especially Sora! That's harassment! If you end up in jail, don't expect me or Mom to bail you out—we can't afford that kind of embarrassment."
"So, you're saying it's fine to tease you, then?"
"Shut up! You idiot brother, I'm not giving you any openings! What kind of depraved creep harasses his own sister?! You, you, you, you—stay back, stick to the door, don't come closer! Ugh, I can practically smell your grossness wafting over!"
"Look…" Kagura scratched the back of his head, gesturing toward Sora, who sat with her eyes closed in quiet repose. "If you don't want to sit next to me, why not let Sora take the middle? Why do you always insist on squeezing in there?!"
*If Sora were in the middle, I could subtly brush against her leg. If not for you, my meddlesome sister, I might've gotten closer to Sora by now!*
"I-I-I… I didn't *choose* to sit in the middle, it's just a coincidence, a coincidence! Besides, what, you think I'd let Sora sit next to you? That'd be like pushing little Sora into a pit of flames! Only I, as your sister, can put up with you, so get that straight, you jerk!"
Eriri clenched her tiny fists, unleashing a verbal torrent at Kagura before biting her lip with a petulant "hmph~!"
*Smack!* Kagura reached over, ruffling Eriri's hair with a wry chuckle, shaking his head. "Ugh… you troublesome little sister."
"Don't just pat my head like that, you annoying brother! Argh—!!"
Eriri seized Kagura's hand and sank her teeth into it.
"Ow—!!!"
Kagura yelped, startling the driver, Miss Hayasaka Nao. The car swerved twice on the private road, causing Sora to clutch Eriri's arm in fright, her eyes squeezed shut.
As they neared the school, Kagura shook his swollen, bitten right hand and pulled out his phone to message Hayasaka: [When it comes to a girl suitable for marrying me, I think she must first meet one criterion: she has to be an exquisite beauty, scoring at least 85 out of 100. So, Hayasaka, who do you think fits the bill?]
Hayasaka replied instantly: [Didn't you spend a year in Class J last year? Among your peers, if we're weighing beauty, family background, and capability, I'd say Yukinoshita Yukino might be a fine choice.]
Oh… Yukinoshita Yukino.
The image of the raven-haired girl materialized in Kagura's mind.
She sat by the window, her slender frame tilted slightly against the chair's backrest, dozing like a porcelain doll in repose.
Her soft, evocative breaths, the faint fragrance of her room's incense clinging to her, her hair swaying like a skirt's hem lifted by a seaside breeze, and her petite form—so delicate it seemed she might dissolve into the air like an elf with a soft *pop*—all paired with the book in her hands, its cover adorned with a black cat. The scene was serene, almost ethereal in its beauty.
"Indeed, Yukinoshita does seem to measure up."
Kagura stroked his chin, replying to Hayasaka: [Intriguing… but I barely know her. Any clever ideas for winning her over?]
Hayasaka Ai responded promptly: [I suggest you start by striking up a conversation, building a connection from scratch. Let alone Yukinoshita Yukino, you don't even have friends at school, do you? Asking me about something so far-fetched is pointless… unless you plan to drag her to the registry office and force her to sign a marriage certificate.]
Kagura read the message and thought: *Fair point. Approaching a girl out of nowhere and asking her to be my wife would baffle anyone. I need to get closer first. If memory serves, Yukinoshita often lingers after school in that abandoned classroom on the fifth floor of the old school building, reading…*
Chiba Municipal Sobu High School, established seventy years ago, was a blend of old and new structures. Kagura and his peers primarily used the newer facilities.
The old school building, largely abandoned, housed only a few obscure clubs.
The main academic building, constructed recently, hosted classes for all three high school years. The early Heisei-era building now served as a laboratory and hub for major student clubs, while a dim, wooden old school building connected the two.
The first day of classes passed uneventfully. Kagura exchanged contact details with a few classmates who approached him. As soon as school ended, he headed to the old school building.
*Creak—creak—*
In the dim corridor, Kagura ascended the squeaking wooden stairs to the fifth floor.
With most of the ceiling bulbs burnt out, gazing down the hallway from the staircase evoked an eerie sense of endlessness, as if the far end were unreachable.
Of course, this was merely an illusion.
*Knock, knock!*
Kagura strode to the door of the classroom at the corridor's end and rapped politely.
The door bore no notices, and the sign above, meant to indicate the room's purpose, was blank.
"…"
Silence greeted him from within—no response.
"Did I come too early?"
Kagura pondered, leaning against the window bathed in the blood-red glow of the setting sun. He waited seven or eight minutes.
Not only did Yukinoshita fail to appear, but his mind began conjuring ghostly rumors about the old school building, sending a chill through him.
*Knock, knock!* Kagura tried again, but as before, no answer came. He pushed the door lightly and, to his surprise, found it unlocked, swinging half-open with ease.
"…What the heck."
Peering through the gap, Kagura pushed the door fully open and stepped inside.
The searing sunset had warmed the room for hours. Unvisited during the spring break, the air carried a faint mustiness and the scent of dust. The curtains, old cotton-linen relics sourced from who-knows-where, were hot to the touch from the sun's rays…
Kagura surveyed the classroom with curiosity, but as his gaze fell upon the back wall, his pupils contracted sharply.